Sony Online Entertainment just announced the sequel to PlanetSide, an MMOFPS that is still fondly remembered by many players. There's no release date, but PlanetSide 2 already has a video.

PlanetSide 2 is a Massively Multiplayer first person shooter that delivers truly epic, massive combat on a scale never before seen in stunning, breathtaking detail. Battles take place not between dozens of troops, but thousands; with air and ground vehicles slugging it out alongside squads of troops. Whether in open fields, tightly-packed urban centers or enormous structures, winning requires strategic teamwork and a quick trigger finger.

With the ongoing legal battle between Interplay and Bethesda for the Fallout MMO rights, the game is still being developed by Earthrise creator Masthead Studios. However, since Interplay has told their investors that their capital deficit is now at $3 million.

Interplay may not be able to survive this situation, not even with a merger or a sale. This leads us to Fallout Online that was due for release in 2012, although nothing substantial was seen of the game. Other games may be cancelled, such as Earthworm Jim 4 or WiiWare titles Stonekeep and Descent.

Gazillion Entertainment just announced that their MMORPG Marvel Universe Online will launch as a free-to-play game, in a strategy that is becoming more and more usual. High-profile games such as The Lord of the Rings Online, Champions Online and Dungeons and Dragons Online are also free-to-play, although they were released in retail.

Marvel Universe Online is in development since 2009 by Secret Identity, a Gazillion Entertainment studio, and is using the Unreal Engine. Even if COO David Brevik didn’t reveal if the game was a client or browser-based title, all points to a downloadable client.

And yet another high profile MMO is going free-to-play. Hi-Rez Studios announced that their shooter Global Agenda will feature a free-to-play option starting mid-April. The change will be introduced via an update named Free Agent, and there will still be a Elite Agent option costing $19.99.

Here are the differences between the two models, Free and Elite:

Free-to-Play

No Level Restriction
Ability to earn all of the game’s current items without spending real money.
Access to all of the game’s current playable content, including:
Sonoran Desert Open Zone
Special Ops PvE (1- to 4-person Co-Op)
10v10 Mercenary PvP
4v4 Arena PvP
Double Agent PvPE
10-person Defense Raids (including the new Dome Defense Mission coming in version 1.4).
Agency vs Agency Gameplay (AvA)

Elite Agent - One-time purchase of $19.99 (£13.99 GBP, €15.99 EUR)

Earn End-of-Mission XP at twice the rate of a Free-to-Play user
Earn End-of-Mission Credits and Tokens at twice the rate of a Free-Play user
Earn End-of-Mission Elite Loot upon winning an instanced PvE or PvP match
Choose which PvP game types you would like to play when queuing for Mercenary PvP.
Access the Auction House
Access In-Game Mail
Less restrictive chat capabilities
No ads for in-game voice
Ability to create Agencies
Higher Login priority

Both Free-to-Play and Elite Agent players can optionally purchase Boosters within the Global Agenda webstore. For a timed period, Boosters will:

Double XP, Tokens and Credits earned in Game
Provide 2,000 tokens a day for free
Provide an extra end-of-mission Boost Loot drop

10-day, 30-day, and 90-day boosters are available. These are available today and will work no differently when the Free Agent release is launched.

Sony Online Entertainment announced that they canceled their spy MMO game The Agency, as part of a restructuring that also led to the closing of three studios: Denver, Seattle and Tucson.

The decision to cancel The Agency was made so that SOE can “focus development resources on delivering two new MMOs based on its renowned PlanetSide and EverQuest properties, while also maintaining its current portfolio of online games.”

Funcom just canceled the Xbox 360 version of their MMORPG Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, something that isn’t very surprising considering the lack of information on the port.

The PC version launched in 2008 and Age of Conan was, just like Champions Online, another MMORPG that was planned for Xbox 360 but never made it to the stores.

Trion Worlds released Rift in the US, with the European version scheduled for Friday. This fantasy MMORPG is set in the Telara, a world being torn apart. Rifts violently rip into reality across the land and release powerful forces that threaten the very existence of Telara. Each breach brings with it new characters, events, and treasures, while the world itself changes dynamically around you.

There are three editions to choose from: Standard Edition, Digital Collector’s Edition, and Retail Collector’s Edition.

Bulgarian developer Masthead Studios and publisher Iceberg Interactive announced the official launch of Earthrise, a post-apocalyptic MMORPG that is somewhat under the radar but not lacking potential.

Players are able to buy the game both in digital version and boxed copy, and purchases in the official website will offer an exclusive item, the Exemplar Armor Set. The boxed copy includes a bonus poster and game map.

Masthead Studios is promising updates and expansion packs for the upcoming months, enhancing the game world.

Sony Online Entertainment just announced that DC Universe Online is now available in stores, both in the PC and PS3 versions.

In this MMO the players will be able to step into the shoes of several DC heroes and villains, such as Superman, Batman, Lex Luthor, Supergirl and The Joker, among many others. Sony worked with Jim Lee to bring a more authentic feel to the visuals in the game.

Electronic Arts just announced that they’ll co-publish The Secret World, the upcoming horror MMORPG from Funcom, makers of Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures.

The PC version is the only one yet announced, but an Xbox 360 adaptation isn’t still completely ruled out.

Last year, Electronic Arts published MMO APB: All Points Bulletin, to a disappointed reaction by players and critics alike. GamersFirst bought the rights to relaunch the game as APB: Reloaded, a free-to-play MMO.

Notorious Games set to launch MMORPG Xsyon Prelude on March 1st, 2011!

Xsyon is a unique fantasy role playing sandbox MMORPG that allows players to create their own virtual realities as they form tribes, build towns, shape landscapes, create quests and build an economy.

War has destroyed life as we know it. The Apocalypse is at hand!

Will you fight for justice to stop the chaos or will you join in the ranks of evil to bring upon the ultimate destruction of the earth?

Imagine yourself in an Apocalyptic world. Modern conveniences are a thing of the past. No computers, no cells phones, no electricity. You are among the few strong survivors, but you must gain skills and learn to survive in this harsh new world.

Every day brings a new challenge as you are pummeled by the elements or find yourself hunting and foraging on your quest to thrive in this Apocalyptic world of creatures, mythical legends, and prophecies that are now all coming true.

Explore this new world and join with other characters striving to survive, or claim a small plot of land of your own and visit tribal lands only to trade items and obtain quests. You may find communication and cooperation with other characters essential, or you can go it alone as you struggle against the harsh conditions that this savage land will thrust upon you.

Work for good and build a prosperous new world or attempt to destroy what is left. Your path is one of choice. Will your actions help heal the planet or will you play a part in its ultimate doom?

What will be the destiny of the Xsyon, the promised land?

The future is in your hands.

Xsyon is designed as an open ended sandbox MMORPG that evolves with its community.

The Prelude is a limited first release of the Xsyon virtual world. An isolated basin, surrounded by mountains in a future American wilderness serves as the launching point for the ever expanding world. This setting provides a pristine environment for players to settle and develop a new online community and determine the future of Xsyon.

Notorious Games is currently taking pre-orders for Xsyon: Prelude.

Pre-Order now to receive:

- 2 months of game play after the launch.
- A limited edition in game special weapon.
- Immediate access to the final testing phase of the game.

Masthead Studios announced the release date for their futuristic MMORPG Earthrise. This game will launch digitally on February 4, 2011.

“The Masthead team is thrilled for the fans who have been following Earthrise closely to now be able to play the game that they have been so eagerly awaiting,” said Atanas Atanasov, producer of Earthrise and director of Masthead Studios. “We have worked incredibly hard to make Earthrise the best sandbox MMORPG on the market, and we can’t wait for players to fully experience all of our hard work and become immersed in Enterra.”

Masthead Studios is also working on Fallout Online, a game that stands in the middle of a legal battle between Interplay and Bethesda.

According to numbers revealed by Raptr, one ambitious player spent 149 hours in the first week of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. That’s an average of 21 hours a day.

The top 11 per cent of players generated over 50% of all playtime in Cataclysm. The average playtime on the day of release was 6.23 hours and the average game length is 2.1 hours.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm was released on December 7th and became the fastest selling PC game ever, with 3.3 million copies sold during the first day.

With each new game, Blizzard breaks some record. Now it’s the new expansion to World of Warcraft, Cataclysm, which sold more than 3.3 million copies in the first 24 hours after being launched.

It became the fastest selling PC game of all time, and the numbers, based on Blizzard company records, “include digital pre-sales”.

Previously, Wrath of the Lich King sold 2.8 million copies in 24 hours. Cataclysm is expected to sell a lot more and ensure Blizzard that the WoW magic is far from over. The fourth expansion is already planned.

Developers of the post-apocalyptic MMO, Fallen Earth, have partnered with several leading hardware providers, including AMD, Patriot Memory, Tt eSPORTS and Thermaltake to present the Fallen Earth Holiday Apocalypse Challenge this month!

Players will have a chance to win a fully loaded, custom Fallen Earth PC, iPhone 4 and other awesome prizes!

The Holiday Apocalypse Challenge begins today and runs through January 7, 2011. Players may visit www.fallenearthcontest.com to enter and will need to jump in game between now and January 7 for a chance to win! Each day players log in between these dates they’ll earn an additional entry.

Additionally, the free trial period is temporarily extended to 30 days through January 7. New players are invited to download a free, 30-day trial at https://www.fallenearth.com/trial to participate.